


Hello, Noct.

by TheDarkestDandelion



Series: The Daemon, the Soldier and a Stolen Bio-Weapon AU [18]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Baby Noctis Lucis Caelum, Car Accidents, Comfort, Family, Fear, Love, M/M, Multi, Prophecy, Protectiveness, Self Control, Sleepy Noctis Lucis Caelum, Trust, Uncle Ardyn Izunia, bahamut is a dick, faith - Freeform, will power
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-10 21:57:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20142637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkestDandelion/pseuds/TheDarkestDandelion
Summary: “…Ardyn? Would you like to hold Noctis?”“No!” Ardyn raised his voice, violently shaking his head, whilst backing himself up against the door frame. “Keep him away from me!”





	1. I Don't Want To Hurt Him

**Author's Note:**

> In the first chapter, Noctis is basically going to be asleep all the way through but is that really surprising?
> 
> Hope you enjoy.
> 
> Edited: I made a booboo on the time timeline, cause I am stupid. in this story, Ardyn and Cor have only been married for two months, not a year. I completely forgot to correct myself when I wrote this. Anyway, I have fixed it now.

Ardyn was so relieved when he saw Cor sitting on a chair in the corridor. When Somnus informed him of Cor’s and Regis’s crash on the way back to the Citadel, Ardyn could not have been more worried. Thankfully, both the King and the Marshal were alright and Regis had now joined Aulea in the birthing room.

“Are you alright?” Ardyn smiled down at his husband and handed him a cup of water.

Cor gladly took it and with his other hand, he rubbed the back of his neck. He had definitely pulled something. “Yeah. Both Regis and I are fine.”

“You really shouldn’t have been driving that quickly.”

“When the King of Lucis orders you to break every single road traffic law, so he can be here to witness the birth of his son, you have to do it.”

Cor was surprised that both of them had come out of that crash unscathed, they were both incredibly lucky. The Regalia, on the other hand, wasn’t, it looked like it was ready to be scrapped. It wouldn’t be the first time Cor had been in a car crash and he had a feeling it certainly wouldn’t be the last. At least Regis got here safely and on time. Damn those conferences. Who’s idea was it to hold a conference a week before the due date of a member of the royal family? Probably Somnus’s. Somnus was a bit of a dick like that. And because Cor was now his brother-in-law, he could get away with saying that.

Ardyn sat down beside Cor and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, before going back to scolding him. “Your recklessness is going to be the end of you one day.”

“I am still alive and breathing, aren’t I?” Cor smirked back. 

“Yes, Cor the Immortal you are. But don’t do it again.”

Cor shot a glare at him. “Don’t call me that.”

“Then don’t do stupid, life-threatening stunts like that.” Ardyn laughed back, running his hands through Cor’s hair. It seemed like every week Cor insisted on giving him a heart attack and with a new nephew currently on the way, Ardyn could have done without it today. He decided not to make much of a fuss though. One, Cor wasn’t going to listen and two, he was just glad that Cor wasn’t hurt. “To be honest My Marshal, I would have picked dying in that car crash over what Cid is going to do to the pair of you when he finds out.” 

“It’s not even his car.” Cor shrugged his shoulder’s drinking the much-needed water.

“I don’t think he is going to take too kindly to you saying that.” 

“How is Aulea anyway?”

“Before you and Regis showed up, she was crushing Clarus’s hand and shouting at me to get Regis to hurry up. Other than that, she is as well as she can be considering she is having a baby.”

Ardyn and Cor stayed where they were for a few more minutes, before they both went to the waiting room. Clarus and Somnus were already there, and Ardyn could tell that his brother felt a little bit guilty about Regis and Cor’s crash. Not enough for him to apologise for arranging the conference for today, but enough for him to wear concern on his face when Ardyn and Cor arrived.

They stayed there for half an hour before a nurse came in and told them that the baby had been born and both the Queen and Prince were healthy. To Cor’s and Clarus’s amazement Somnus didn’t declare he was going off for a nap after hearing the news, he sat quietly in the corner and showed no signs of falling asleep at all. The Shield and the Marshal didn’t say anything and turned to see Ardyn’s reaction to the Founder King’s behaviour. Ardyn didn’t look bothered so the pair didn’t comment. However, they failed to notice Ardyn’s expression, because if they did, they would know that the immortal daemon was deep in thought. He was like this because a few minutes ago, only for a brief second, Ardyn felt something rush through him. He didn’t know what it was, but he did not like it. He put on a smile and came to the conclusion it was nothing. It wasn’t like this was anything new. The birth of his nephews/nieces had happened over 114 times. He was just overthinking it, right?

* * *

“Mind his head.” Aulea said as she passed her son over to his dad.

And once the newly born little prince was safely cradled in his arms, Regis’s heart melted. The little boy was wrapped in a blue blanket with stars on it meaning that all Regis could see was his cute face and a tuff of black hair sticking out at the top. The King could not stop the smile that spread across his face or the tear of joy that rolled down his cheek as he sat back down in the chair beside his wife’s bed. And looking at his son, Regis finally understood what unconditional love was. This boy had now become everything to him and nothing in this world could change that. 

“Hello, Noctis…” Regis whispered giving him a light kiss on the forehead. He then looked up to Aulea and smiled at her with pride. “He’s just beautiful. I am so proud of you Aulea. How are you feeling?”

“Exhausted and sore. But I would go through it all again for him.” Aulea smiled softly, shuffling on the bed to make her self more comfortable.

“The hard part is over now. You should get some rest.”

“I will.”

Childbirth was not something she was looking forward to again. She felt sweaty, sore, tired, and very guilty that she had crushed both Clarus’s and Regis’s hand during labour. Her mother did warn her that it was going to be one of the most painful experiences she would ever go through and the Queen was a fool for not believing her.

Aulea reached her hand out and Regis gladly took it. The King rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb and the pair of them stared lovingly at their son. Noctis Lucis Caelum, Heir Apparent to the Lucian throne and Kingdom. He was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

“Regis… we’re parents.” Aulea smiled, letting go of tears of joy.

“Yes. Yes, we are. I love you, my Queen.” Regis brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently, still holding a sleeping Noctis close to his chest.

“I love you too, you royal pain in the arse.”

“Now, Aulea language. There is a baby present.”

Aulea laughed and took her hand out of Regis’s. “As much as I want you to stay here, I think it is time for little Noctis to meet his Grandfather and Uncle before they come in here and demand to see him.”

“Alright. Just get plenty of rest you deserve it.”

Regis rose from his chair, gave his wife a sweet kiss and left the room with Noctis sleeping peacefully in his arms.

* * *

When Regis entered the waiting room only Somnus was present and to his surprise his grandfather was wide awake. That was very strange. But the King was too overcome, by joy and pride to care right now. He walked right over to Somnus and showed his son off.

“Granddad say hello to Noctis. Noctis, this is your Grandad.”

Somnus let go a smile when he laid eyes on his youngest grandchild. Somnus never thought babies or children were cute. To him, they were just needy noisy things that were essential for the human race to continue. But he never felt like that when it came to his grandchildren. Noctis was definitely adorable.

“He’s cute.” Somnus admitted as little Noctis snuggled up to his dad.

Regis chuckled at how cute his son was behaving, and he happily agreed with Somnus. “Isn’t he just. Would you like to hold him?”

“If I may.”

Regis very carefully handed Noctis over to Somnus and the baby still didn’t wake up. Somnus shook his head. This boy was definitely a Caelum.

Anyone would have thought after 2000 years the novelty of becoming a grandparent would wear off. It didn’t, and it never would. Somnus was so proud of both Regis and Aulea for bringing little Noctis into the world. He was the future of the family and the Kingdom of Lucis after all, but more importantly he was his grandson and Somnus already loved him. Not that Somnus would ever openly say that. There was a lot of things he would never say and that for the time being was one of them. Somnus rocked Noctis in his arms and continued to smile at him even when the door opened. 

“Never thought I would see you holding a baby.” Cor said in a surprised tone as he entered the room, with Ardyn following close behind him.

Somnus rolled his eyes and continued to rock Noctis back and forth. “Ardyn’s personality is starting to rub off on you.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Ardyn smiled handing Regis a cup of tea and a dummies guide to parenting. He was such a troll. 

“Yes.” 

Regis laughed at the gift from his uncle and suddenly realised that Clarus was nowhere to be seen. “Where’s Clarus?”

“We sent him home.” Cor replied.

“Don’t worry Regis. Ardyn, Cor and I have put more of the guard on patrol for a few days and I told Clarus I am more than happy to look after you, Aulea and Noctis for tonight so he can spend time with his family.”

Regis and Cor gave each other a weird look. Why was Somnus being so god damn nice? They understood that this was a happy occasion and all, but at Regis’s and Aulea’s wedding Somnus was a complete prick. Not to mention the amount of grief he caused Ardyn on his and Cor’s wedding day. It was just strange.

Cor patted the King on the back. “Regis have more kids. He is acting like a civilised human being for a change.”

“It is starting to freak me out.” Regis admitted, inching away from Somnus.

“He always does this when one of his many grandchildren are born. Don’t worry he will be back to his old self once he is satisfied you are all safe.” Ardyn reassured them. There was no way Somnus was going to act this kind for much longer, everyone should be enjoying it while it lasted. It always brought Ardyn joy to see the King or Queen freak out at Somnus’s behaviour, it was only a matter…

Ardyn’s mind went blank when he finally laid eyes on the sleeping boy in his brother’s arms.

That rush had come back again, only this time it touched every inch of his body, forcing him to take a step backwards. His breathing got heavy, and he felt every single daemon inside of him trying to pull him closer to the door. They were acting as if they were being burnt. What was going on, they were only in the presence of a baby! Cor’s, Regis’s and Somnus’s voices had now been drowned out and Ardyn could not take his eyes off the baby that was sending him and the daemons into a whirlwind of fear.

That was what this was, he was scared. Why? Why were they behaving like this? Ardyn blinked a few times to try to get himself under control but when he opened his eyes, he made direct contact with little Noctis’s. He had big blue midnight eyes and it made the hair on the back of Ardyn’s neck stand on edge. The need to protect himself suddenly kicked in, he was still scared of the infant in front of him but the daemons had another thought in mind.

They wanted the boy dead.

While Ardyn fought the evil thoughts brewing inside of him, Regis had taken Noctis off of Somnus and approached his uncle with a smile on his face. Unaware of the danger that was in front of him.

“…Ardyn? Would you like to hold Noctis?”

“No!” Ardyn raised his voice, violently shaking his head, whilst backing himself up against the door frame. “Keep him away from me!”

“Ardyn? Hey, what’s wrong?” Cor asked immediately and suddenly noticed how scared his husband looked.

Cor didn’t get a response. Instead, Ardyn turned on his heels and left that room as quick as he could, leaving the rest of his family worried and shocked at the outburst. Not wasting any time, Cor sprinted after him and called his name to get him to slow down. 

* * *

Cor lost sight of Ardyn for about 20 minutes. The Citadel was a big place and Ardyn had more than likely teleported somewhere where he wouldn’t be disturbed. Which was going to be Cor’s office. The Marshal made his way there and when he got into the room, all of the lights were off and the blinds closed. Cor closed the door and made his way over to his desk and found Ardyn sitting underneath it scraping his nails across the carpet.

“Hey, Ardyn… Ardyn.” Cor said gently, not sitting down until Ardyn had realised that he was there.

Cor knew that Ardyn was in the mist of playing a game of tug of war with his head and Cor really didn’t want Ardyn to lose it today. The Marshal was gentle and placed a hand on Ardyn’s arm forcing the distressed royal to glance up at his husband. It was just as Cor had feared, Ardyn’s eyes were glowing yellow. Thankfully, the scourge wasn’t leaking through yet so it was going to be easier to bring him back to reality.

Cor moved his chair back further and sat down directly in front of Ardyn and comforted him with words and held on to his arms. “It’s only me, it’s alright. Can you tell me what that was all about?”

“Don’t let me anywhere near Noctis.” Ardyn said darkly, diverting his eyes away from Cor in shame.

“Okay. Can you tell me why?” Cor asked, hiding the concern in his voice. Ardyn’s eyes had started to dim but they still had fire in them. He knew he had to be careful. But he did not expect Ardyn’s voice to break when he explained the situation to him. 

“Because I am going to hurt him. I don’t want to hurt him.”

“No, Ardyn you won’t hurt him.”

“Yes, I will. I have to hurt him, and I don’t want to. I don’t want to hurt anyone, I especially don’t want to hurt a baby!” Ardyn shuffled further under the desk and his voice had become breathless, rapid and panicky.

Cor’s grip on Ardyn’s arms got tighter and he followed him under the desk. He was really concerned now but he knew it was best that Ardyn wasn’t aware of that until he broke out of his trance. Cor cleared his throat and spoke in a smooth and relaxed tone. “Why would you hurt him?”

“Because he’s the Chosen King, Cor! Now, do you understand why I can’t be anywhere near him!”

It went silent then.

Cor felt a lump form in his throat and fear ran up his spine. No, that wasn’t allowed to happen. Not yet. He couldn’t lose Ardyn now. They had only been married for two months and Ardyn had promised Cor that he would remain a part of his life until it was Cor’s time to go. Ardyn had to wait, he wasn’t allowed to go first. He couldn’t go first. Cor wasn’t going to let him. No! Cor was getting worked up for no reason. Ardyn must have got it wrong. He had to be wrong.

Cor tried his best to remain calm and tried to get Ardyn to come around to his way of thinking. “Are you certain that it’s Noctis? You could be wrong. Somnus told me you thought it was someone else before, you could be wrong again.”

“This is different. Every part of me wanted to destroy him. I wanted him dead. I want him dead. You can’t let me near him.”

Ardyn started to cry. He loved Regis and now he had to be the one to take his son away from him. It wasn’t fair, the boy was only a few hours old and already he had been sentenced to death. Ardyn brought his hands to his face and sobbed real tears. Not the scourge, actual tears. Cor wrapped his arms around his husband and pulled him close to him and rubbed his back as Ardyn continued to weep. 

“I don’t want to do it Cor. I don’t want to hurt him.” Ardyn hiccupped burying his head into Cor’s chest.

“I know. I know.” Cor replied kissing the top of Ardyn’s head. There was nothing Cor could do but hold Ardyn close and tell him everything was okay.

But if Ardyn was right, nothing was going to be okay. 


	2. I Promise

Ardyn rested his head against Cor’s shoulder as the pair continued to sit under the desk. Ardyn had calm down but he didn’t want to see anyone. His eyes were still sore from crying and he was comfortable knowing that his Marshal was looking after him. Two things comforted Ardyn, which were Cor and the dark. For that reason, he wanted to sit with Cor in the darkness and remain hiding under the desk. All of this had come far too soon. (That was not something he thought he would ever say after 2000 years of exhaustion) Just when he finally had something good in his life, it was going to be snatched away by fate of all things. Those Gods and this restless eternal life were a bitch to him. Ardyn just didn’t know what to do, or how to think or feel anymore. 

Cor rubbed Ardyn’s arm and finally broke the silence that the pair had allowed to settle for 15 minutes. “We need to tell Regis.”

“What, tell him that his Uncle has to murder his newborn son? That will go down perfectly.” Ardyn whispered.

“As you said, it’s his son. He has a right to know.”

Ardyn raised his head up too quickly and banged his head on the desk. He grunted in annoyance, and a bit of pain, and then tried to explain to Cor that that was not a good idea at all. “What do you think he is going to say when he finds out? He is going to be beyond heartbroken. Not to mention what Somnus is going to say as soon as he discovers this!”

“I don’t give a fuck what Somnus has to say.”

“He is going to be affected as much as Noctis and I are.”

Cor heard Ardyn’s voice change slightly. He knew that the mention of his brother was agitating him. Actually, Ardyn was more than likely becoming more scared as to what might happen next. Not wanting to see Ardyn like that, Cor began to gently rub Ardyn’s back and placed his hand on the back of his neck, to ensure that Ardyn was focused on him and the words he was saying. 

“Ardyn, calm down. I won’t let Somnus hurt you.”

Ardyn glanced down at the floor and started to fiddle with Cor’s jacket. Too many emotions were racing through his head for him to concentrate. He was scared, angry, upset and confused. Because of all that, bursting through him at once, Ardyn just wanted out. He continued to whisper, and the sound of hurt was clearly present in his voice. “Maybe it is for the best that he does. Maybe if I go away this whole situation won’t be as painful when the time comes.”

Cor lifted Ardyn’s chin up, so he would look at him again. “You’re not leaving. We are going to sort this out together, I didn’t ask you to marry me only to leave you when shit hits the fan. Get on your feet we need to speak to Regis and we are doing it now.”

Cor got out from under the desk and grabbed on to Ardyn’s arm. Cor knew Ardyn would not come on his own volition, so he had to yank his arm and put him on his feet when he was certain Ardyn was no longer under the desk. Cor didn’t give Ardyn any time to protest, he marched them both out of his office and in the direction of where they had left Regis and Somnus around 50 minutes ago.

* * *

Cor and Ardyn agreed it was for the best that Cor should be the one to go in and tell them first before they spoke to Ardyn. And to ensure Ardyn didn’t run off again Cor made him promise to stay put.

Once the Marshal was satisfied Ardyn would keep to his promise he entered the room to find Regis and Somnus chatting outside the door that Aulea and Noctis had been placed in for the night. When the Kings heard the door, they put their conversation to a halt and turned to see who it was. When they saw it was only Cor, Regis relaxed a little. He was so concerned about Ardyn after how he had reacted. Regis was ready to send a search party out for the pair of them if neither made an appearance in the next 5 minutes. But when Regis got a proper look at Cor’s face his worry started to grow again. 

“Is everything alright?” Regis asked in a gentle tone, hoping that the pair of them were okay.

“Where’s Ardyn?” Somnus asked, in a much less caring voice.

“Outside, he’ll be in, in a minute.” Cor paused. There wasn’t any good way to tackle this. No matter what words he chose, he wouldn’t be able to shield Regis from the heartbreak he was sure to feel. Nor any of the emotions that came along with being told that your newborn son was destined to be murdered by the uncle he loved. He didn’t want to do this but for the safety of Ardyn’s mental state, he had to. Cor took in a deep breath and chose his words carefully. “We have an issue. Regis, I am really sorry. But Ardyn thinks… rather knows that Noctis… He’s the Crystal’s Chosen.”

“What.” Somnus growled glaring at his brother-in-law.

“Don’t you dare shout at him. He just legged it away from Noctis so he wouldn’t hurt anyone, give him some fucking credit before you freak out!” Cor raised his voice at the Founder King. He didn’t care what Somnus’s view on this was. Yes, he might be able to die now because of this but Ardyn, Noctis and Regis were his main concern at the moment.

Cor turned to Regis and noticed that he had gone white. There was no colour in his face at all. Regis was doing nothing, Cor wasn’t even sure if Regis was breathing. All the King was doing was staring at Cor, as if the Marshal had just planted a knife in his chest. He essentially had. Cor walked over to Regis and did what he could to lessen his worries. 

“Regis, I understand that this is hard but please don’t panic. Ardyn’s not going to hurt him.”

“He’s only a few hours old… He’s got it wrong Cor. He must have.” Regis let out a hollow laugh shaking his head in disbelief. Every King had been brought up on the notion that one day it might be their child who is destined to free their ancestors and save Eos. But never in a million years did Regis think it was going to be his. No, it wasn’t Noctis. It couldn’t be Noctis.

“Ardyn just explained it all to me and I am so sorry Regis, I’m afraid he hasn’t.”

Cor’s voice was stern, sympathetic and littered with pain. Regis felt his heart drop. His green eyes started to inflame, and panic and fear started to set in. The King backed away from Cor slightly and placed his hand on the wall, to steady himself, and his other hand to his mouth. He let out a small heart-shattering shriek and let the tears run down his cheeks. Ignoring Cor and Somnus, Regis looked to the door at where his wife and child were staying, and he had never felt pain like this before. It felt like his heart had shattered into thousands of pieces, his chest tightened, he felt sick, he felt distraught, but above all else, he felt angry. Anger that he had never felt before in his entire life. No longer caring if his wife and son were asleep, he turned back to Cor and shouted at him. 

“Why my son! He’s only a baby!”

“And Ardyn isn’t going to hurt him! Ardyn is terrified, he doesn’t want to hurt anyone, and he won’t.”

“You don’t know that Cor.” Somnus commented bluntly.

“Yes, I do. I just spend 10 minutes hugging him while he cried because he couldn’t stand the thought of hurting anyone in this family. Regis, I know this is hard, but you have to believe me, and you have to trust Ardyn.”

Somnus chose to keep silent and turned around heading for the door. This caught both of Regis’s and Cor’s attention and neither of them wanted to let Somnus go out there, for completely different reasons. 

“Grandfather, where are you going?” Regis asked with a hint of anger in his voice, for he couldn’t control the rage bubbling away in his stomach. He didn’t want Somnus to go, no matter what Cor had said, there was still that fear that Ardyn could potentially harm Noctis. For that reason, he needed Somnus to stay close.

“I am going to talk to him.”

That was why Cor didn’t want Somnus leaving. None of this was Ardyn’s fault, he didn’t choose for it to be Noctis. He never asked for any of this. Before Somnus could leave, Cor threatened him. “If you hurt him, I’ll hurt you.”

“Understood.”

Once Somnus had left the room, Cor turned back to Regis and saw that his honorary brother was about to implode with rage.

“Regis…”

The King broke down in floods of tears, shouting, and kicking chairs as he continued to cry. “Why can’t I do it instead! Can’t I beg the crystal to allow me to take his place! He has his whole life ahead of him, it’s not fair to ask this of a child! And Aulea… This is going to destroy her. I won’t let it happen!”

“Regis, sit down.” Cor suggested, finally getting a grip on Regis and trying to sit him down.

“Ardyn and Somnus got it right. FUCK THOSE GODS TO HELL! I will not allow them to take my son away!”

* * *

“Please, please, Somnus, just go away.” Ardyn pleaded sitting up against the wall.

He had remained like that since Cor went in, and when he heard Regis’s shriek he wanted to go back into hiding. He didn’t want to face his nephew or his brother. He hadn’t heard Somnus speak much. He was more than likely shocked by the news. But now that it was just the two of them, Ardyn expected him to scream. He half expected to be executed on the spot. Or maybe for Somnus to just say nothing and spit at him.

But he did not expect what came next. 

“This is my fault.”

“Sorry?”

Somnus joined his brother on the floor and sat up against the wall opposite Ardyn. Of course, Somnus was angry. But he wasn’t angry at Ardyn. He was angry at himself and the Six. “If I hadn’t been an utter prick towards you back then, you wouldn’t have to do any of this. I am sorry.”

Somnus had apologised to Ardyn a few times over the past 2000 years but it was never as genuine as the one he had just given him. Still… Ardyn was not willing to trust Somnus not to throw him under the bus if he was given the chance. The funny thing was, over the years Ardyn and Somnus had made jokes about this ‘Chosen King.’ Calling him: ‘their ticket to hell.’ But now that it was finally happening that clearly wasn’t funny anymore. He was only a baby and the fate of Eos hung in the balance and it was all down to him to protect everyone…

This wasn’t fair. 

Ardyn let go a nervous laugh. “That was not something I ever expected to hear come out of your mouth. I gather you still don’t trust me near the boy.”

“Noctis. And no, I don’t. However, it’s not you I don’t trust, it’s the things crawling inside of you.” Somnus said pointing to his head.

Well at least Somnus was being honest with him. That was something. Ardyn might as well be if Somnus was.

“I don’t want to do it Som.”

“Unfortunately, there is not a lot we can do about it.”

“How’s Regis?”

“Scared. Panicked. Shocked. Heartbroken. Much the same as to how I am feeling. Like I said, I don’t want you near Noctis. But it isn’t up to me it’s up to Regis and Aulea to decide.” Somnus didn’t sound bothered, but Ardyn knew that was all a ruse. Somnus wasn’t only torn by his grandchildren and his brother, he was torn between dying and remaining on this rock forever if they didn’t accept what was to pass. In a way, Somnus had the shorter draw here. Whatever way they chose to tackle this issue it would appear selfish on the Founder King’s part.

Given the situation, Ardyn revealed to his brother how he was feeling about what the future might hold. “Somnus, are you scared? Because I am.”

After a brief pause, Somnus responded.

“I’m terrified.”

* * *

The Marshal spent ages calming the King down.

When Regis stopped shouting and crying, he retrieved Noctis from the other room and held him close. His son was still fast asleep and blissfully unaware of what was going on around him. Unaware of what fate held for him, and unaware of how heartbroken his dad was.

“What do I do? Look at him Cor… he’s innocent.” Regis sniffed, stroking his son’s face, hoping that this was a nightmare that he would soon wake up from.

“I know. None of this is fair.”

In a second Regis’s voice changed from being sad to mildly aggressive. He didn’t look up from Noctis though. “Where is Ardyn?”

“I presume with Somnus. Regis, please listen to me. You know Ardyn. He’s your uncle and you know for a fact he would never hurt a member of this family. He doesn’t want to have any part in this.” Cor said sensing the danger in Regis’s voice. He had to convince him that Ardyn wouldn’t do anything. That he never would either.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because everyone needs reminding that Ardyn is only a monster because that is what people see him as. If you love him and trust him, it helps him remain in control.”

“I know that.”

“Then you know he would never intentionally hurt Noctis. Do you honestly think that Ardyn is capable of hurting him right this second?”

Regis kept his gaze on Noctis and stood up from his chair. Noctis started to stir and open his eyes up at his dad. The innocent and sleepy look in his son’s eyes made Regis let go of a small smile. He was just perfect in every single way and the King couldn’t fathom why him? He placed his lips to his son’s forehead and thought about what Cor was saying. He was making perfect sense, and out of everyone alive, Cor did know Ardyn best. Regis may not trust the daemons that infested his uncle, but he did trust Cor. Regis nodded, turned his back to Cor and gave him a simple order. 

“Send him in.”

Cor nodded and went to retrieve his husband. When he saw the brother’s sitting in the corridor, facing each other, with looks of sorrow on their faces, Cor’s first reaction was to snap at Somnus.

“You better not have upset him.”

“He hasn’t.” Ardyn sighed standing up, knowing exactly why Cor had been sent out. 

“Regis wants you. It’s okay, I promise.” Cor held out his hand for Ardyn to take as a form of comfort.

Ardyn gave him a weak smile and gladly took his husband’s hand and allowed Cor to guide him into the room. Both he and Somnus had been given some time to chat. Mostly about what was going to happen and if there was any way of avoiding this. There wasn’t, and the pair decided to accept fate for what it was. Unbeknown to Somnus though, Ardyn had come up with a solution of his own and he was planning on sharing it with Regis. In his mind, it was for the best for everyone. No one was going to change his mind, not even Cor.

Somnus was left outside, but he was ready to act if he needed to and when Ardyn saw Regis and little Noctis he wanted to leave the room again. The daemons started to act like they had before and pulled him away. It was only a matter of time before they wanted to strike again. Ardyn couldn’t let that happen. He was about to let go of Cor’s hand and get out of there, but Regis’s ragged voice prevented him from doing so.

“Ardyn, I’m scared.”

Ardyn nodded, completely understanding. “I am too. So, I have decided that I am leaving.”

“No, you fucking aren’t.” Cor’s grip got tighter on Ardyn’s hand.

“It’s for the best that I don’t get attached. It will make things easier in the long run.”

“No, you are not leaving me.”

“Cor… I have too.” Ardyn sighed barely freeing his hand from Cor’s.

His mind was starting to jump around, and he didn’t know if he could hold them off again. If this situation wasn’t so serious it would be funny that the daemons were scared of a baby. A newborn at that. 

“No.” Regis started moving closer to his uncle. “Your job is to protect and advise the King. You can’t do that if you aren’t here.”

Was Regis nuts? That didn’t matter anymore. What mattered was that, Ardyn had the potential to flip and murder Noctis at any given moment. His job should not be being used against him, Regis should be thanking him for being brave enough to make this decision and leave everything behind to ensure the safety of the Prince. For leaving Cor behind. Ardyn was determined to make him see things his way.

“You don’t-”

“That’s an order Uncle. You are staying here, and I am allowing you to see Noctis.”

“You really shouldn’t.” Ardyn said in a semi-threatening voice.

And Regis ignored the threat. “I trust you not to hurt him. Wrong choice of words, I know for certain you won’t harm him. Come here.”

“Reggie.”

“Come here.” Regis ordered again. Ardyn refused to move, so Cor gave him a push. Ardyn gulped realising he didn’t really have another option but to obey and stood a few meters away from his nephews. When Regis spoke again, his voice was calmer. “Hold out your arms.”

Ardyn looked at Noctis and saw that the boy had a smile on his face and he was looking directly at him. Just like with Regis and all his other nephews and nieces he laid eyes on, he felt protective of them. Then the fear kicked in again. What if that was a false sense of security. “What if your wrong Regis. What if I do hurt him?”

“Then you will remain on Angelguard for the rest of time.”

“Fair enough.”

Ardyn reluctantly held out his arms and allowed Regis to place little Noctis into them. When his youngest nephew was secure a wave of emotion hit him. Noctis continued to smile up at his uncle and it forced Ardyn to smile back. Ardyn held him steady with one arm and with his other, he placed a finger to Noctis’s hand and the little boy grabbed onto him instantly. In a weird sort of way, it was like Noctis was telling him he trusted him too. Ardyn still didn’t trust himself, but the fear was slowly melting away. It was being replaced with love and the need to protect instead of kill. That’s when Ardyn decided to make a promise. One he would try his hardest to keep. 

“Hello, Noct. I promise I am not going to hurt you. I am going to protect you instead.”


End file.
